Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-29
Gales aud Sketehes.


Bull Kun at Gettysburg ana nau ialn III
winter quarters at Petersburg, Va. for
several months, but in all that time had
never been mustered into the service and
had never taken the oath OF allegiance to
the. Southern Confederacv. l had pro-
cured an official permit signed by Seldom,
the confederate secretary OF war, to leave
the confederacv bv sea, "but not by land. !"
and so the only safe way of getting home
was by blockade runner.
stro.led into the Office of the Bee COM
pany of Charleston. since the former port
was closed up. and there preferred my re-
quest. After little conversation my re-
Quest was cheerfully and kindly granted.
as above related, BY Mr.. Mitchell. the
agent of the line l thanked him CRATE
fully, and on the appointed day took my
stand in the upper deck of the blockade
steamer Fanny, formerly the Lord Clyde.
an iron packet which once piled between
Glasgow and Dublin She was lying in
the stream and bound for Nassau.
Around me on either shore of the deep
but narrow river in front of the city were
about twenty long, low, iron paddle wheel
CLYDE built steamers. each painted dead
white-hull. cabin, wheel house and
smoke stack The colored stevedores
were filling the holds of the outgoing
ter being worth in Europe at that time 40
to so cents per pound in gold. From the
steamers which had arrived in the morn
ing, alter running the blockade during the
darkness of the night, they were unload
ing cases of dress goods, calicoes, gray
cloth for army uniforms, kegs of baking
soda, chests of tea. bags of coffee. pack
ages of pepper and other spices. boxes of
boots and shoes and cases of quinne,
morphepe and other drugs-all of which
were very scarce in the south.
A dozen Confederate soldiers headed
by a dandy little lieutenant went through
the Fanny looking for stowaway deserters.
After all the known places of cOncealment
were explored the searchers proceeded 10
complete their work by an operation
known as 'slinking EN- out" The
..stinkers" were made of sheet iron,
shaped like warming pans. and were filled
with 1--we Goals, over which were sprinkled
some chemical substance which on COM
bustion emitted an odor at once pungent
and sickening and altogether diabolcal
A Whit of this compound made me retreat
over the cotton bales piled on the deck to
the bow where 1 watched the operation of
lowering the ''stinkers" down the hatch
ways.
''Phew mon! That smells like the
stinkbums the Chinese used TO fling at
u.s. said the Scotch engineer, holding his
nostrls closed by his finger and thumb.
A little confusion around the hatchway
and dirty, torlorn looking rebel soldier,
his gray clothing and hair covered with
flakes of cotton, scrambled on deck. He
was promptly put under guard.
ANY more down there ?' asked the
lieutenant sharply.
"Dunno, capting. didn't see none. l
went down there all alone"
The lieutenant appeared Modified by
the title OF "capting," and then ordered
the other hatchway "stunk out" No
other stowaways, however, rewarded the
operation. Then he scanned the papers
and passports of all on board, took glass
of wine with the captain in the cabin and
departed in row boat with the men and
prisoner.
The whistle sounded and the Fanny
steamed down the river. The paddle
wheels, which in revolving dived into the
water sidewise and emerged in the same
manner, like a feathered oar. made no
noise-a great desideration in blockade
runner. The smo! esack, after puff or
two, showed neither sparks nor smoke
another great advantage at night in
slipping through fleet of cruisers eager
for their prey.
AT Southville, on the river below Will
mington, white pilot came on board and
at once went 20 the wheelhouse. Each
blockade runner carried two pilots, one for
Nassau or Bermuda and the other tor the
port of Wilmington. The former were gen.
orally black men, and there was one OF
these on board. Besides these important
personages each blockade runner carried a
signal man, who was generally scion OF
some well known southern family, often a
student from a military school. who could
be relied upon for reticence, courage and
devotion 10 the Confederate cause. The
duties of these striplings were extremely
simple.
/ He had nothing to do on the outward
trip, but on returning, at the mouth Of
Cape Fear, then duty began. Alter the
I pilot had successfully threaded his way
through the darkness and evaded and out
ran the hostile cruisers, the irowning earth
works OF Fort Fisher or Fort Caswell, with
their sixty pound Columbiads and Arm.
strong guns, barred the way. The aim
4 and range of these batteries had been SC
accurately obtained that they could sink
the largest war vessel in a few minutes
Here the signal man came into play at a
certain distance, and then woe betlde the
mistake of crossing the line-the incoming
vessel had to give the night signals. These
were given from two large lanterns. like
locomotive headlights, with sheet iron
slides. placed in the bow.
Stationed in position, the signal man, af
ter signal from the batteries, commenced
giving the assurances of a friendly vessel
Graspipg the handles of each slide he dis
played the lights something in this style
Starboard, once: larboard, twice, both
lights thrice, and SO on. Then the grim
fort showed a signal which said "al
right" and the successful blockade run
ner was safe for the trip.
But am getting ahead of my story
Blockade running was only conducted or
dark nights. When the moon was at OF
near its full, or on starlit nights, the 'grey
hounds of the sea" rested supineIy il
Wilmington or Nassau. On this nigh
the moon was on the wane. but shont
clear above the frowning ramparts O
Fort Caswell. Luna, however, fiuall,
disappeared behind the shadow of the re
volving earth. The night was still, bu
there was ground swell on the waite